Bills' Disappointing Performance Gives New England Route to Top Spot - Highlights of Week 10 NFL Action
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The tenth week once more provided excitement, with a major surprise for the Buffalo Bills demonstrating the 'any Sunday can bring surprises' saying that attracts so many people into the NFL
That result may have opened things up for the Patriots to creep back into a leading position they used to occupy, with a schedule that gives them an edge over their eight and two competitors
Over in the National Football Conference the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams had perfect results to set up a major confrontation next week, while our top performer is pursuing milestones as well as the MVP award
Analysis - Simply an Off Day for the Bills?
Could it simply have been an emotional letdown from defeating Kansas City last week or something more? That's the question for the Bills to answer
The Buffalo squad had secured seven victories in a row against Miami but were outperformed from the start as the Miami team ran out 30-13 winners in an surprising result - and performance
MVP Josh Allen only achieved the squad's initial first down in the third period and initial scoring in the fourth - admittedly Miami had 10 days to prepare but it was still a massive egg produced by one of the NFL's best offenses
Tua Tagovailoa passed for two touchdowns but running back Achane was the devastating difference, with 225 total yards and two touchdowns
Bottling up the NFL's top rushing attack was also key, with Cook and teammates registering just 86 yards, their lowest of the season and slightly more than fifty percent their 161.5-yard average
Additionally there were the three crucial turnovers, and the two from Josh Allen in particular. An interception in the scoring area resulting in a nine-minute possession yielded no points, and his final quarter dropped ball that the Dolphins turned into seven points just later
It was classic 'old Buffalo' as they shot themselves in the foot, falling into a hole on defensive side and Allen trying to do too much to rescue his squad from the situation - not the calm, disciplined, balanced Buffalo team we've seen this year
Miami have demonstrated a varied performances this season so the jury's out on if this is the beginning of something, but for Buffalo they'll require an instant response in a difficult matchup against Tampa Bay in week 11 as the New England are quietly moving into a nice lead at the top of the American Football Conference East
Spotlight - Patriots See Path to Unexpected First Place
Speaking of the New England, they're among three different eight and two squads in the NFL, all American Football Conference sides, but could they be the best?
One could find flaws in the Patriots, Denver and Indianapolis actually for feasting on the lesser sides, with just five of their total twenty-four wins coming against opponents with a positive record - and one of those was the Colts beating the Denver
The Broncos defeated the reigning champion Eagles in Philadelphia and are masters of the fourth-quarter while Indianapolis can rely on Jonathan Taylor, but the New England including Sunday's win in Tampa to their primtime success in Orchard Park appears to be a declaration
Their two defeats came in new head coach Vrabel's initial three contests, with seven straight wins, similar to the Broncos, from that point - but taking down Mayfield after the Buccaneers had a week off to prepare was huge
Maye's Most Valuable Player credentials won't go away, and he definitely earns credit for courage after taking some hard tackles in Tampa Bay but persevering to steer his team to success
The defensive unit is reliable and first-year rusher TreVeyon Henderson burst onto the scene on game day with 147 yards and two exciting scores of fifty-five and sixty-nine yards - becoming just the fifth runner to break 22 miles per hour this year on his initial touchdown
While you can debate who 'the top team' is technically, the Patriots should be favorites to finish with the top record thanks to their remaining opponents - which features just one game against a winning team, although a huge one against Buffalo
Visiting Baltimore is also tough, but the Broncos have it even tougher in the AFC West division with the Kansas City to play twice, the Los Angeles Chargers (who might also compete for top seed but encounter the identical challenge) and additionally the Green Bay on the fixture list
The Indianapolis also play the Chiefs, and have the Seattle, 49ers and two games with the 5-4 Jaguars to contend with. There is a considerable distance to go but the door is available for a surprise top seed in the American Football Conference
Coming Up - Los Angeles and Seattle Set for Next Week Showdown
Both squads with strong arguments to be better than all of the three different 8-2 sides are NFC West opponents the Seattle and Rams, who both put up 40 burgers to reach seven and two ahead of the upcoming major game between the two in Los Angeles
Both have won four in a row, have signal callers in Stafford and Sam Darnold playing at an high standard (although Darnold had turnover issues on game day) with top receivers, and defenses giving up under 20 points a contest
Each could realistically be undefeated as well - particularly the Los Angeles as their pair of losses occurred in overtime against the 49ers and then that painful defeat in Philly when they had a game-winning field goal with the final play deflected and returned by the Philadelphia for a score
Seattle were also defeated to San Francisco, with a late touchdown in the opening week, before falling to the final play of the game against the Buccaneers - so they're genuinely among the top teams in the league
The upcoming game on Sunday could be the best of the season to date
Player of the Week - Jonathan Taylor
Jonathan Taylor might be on for a historic year after his incredible display in Germany - running for 244 rushing yards, scoring three scores and contributing another 42 {receiving yards